Anchor-Class Space Station
Designation: 'Mark V. Anchor-class Space Station *'Docking points: '4 primary docking points able to accomodate any class of capital ship. 12 secondary docking points able to accomodate capital ships up to and including cruiser size. Dozens of launch bays able to accomodate shuttle craft of all types and size, facilitating connection to any number of escort-class ships nearby. *'Dimensions (Approx.): '10km Diameter, 6km height. *'Armament: 'Several Lance-turrets and Weapons Batteries for close defense against enemy capital Ships, innumerable point-defence guns to fend off approaching boarding craft and torpedoes. *'Armour: 'Thick Adamantium/Ceramite alloy plating affords the Space Station an excellent resistance to enemy fire, as well as intense cosmic radiation and heat, but it's low grade of void shielding means it will not maintain integrity against dedicated anti-ship grade weaponry for long. *'Propulsion: 'Powerful manuevering thrusters allow the Anchor-class to maintain a Geo-stationary orbit above a celestial body, or maintain a constant position in deep space. Origins The Mark V. Anchor-class Space Station was a mainstay of humanity's civilisation during the Dark Age of Technology. A truly gargantuan structure that dwarfs the more common Space Stations used in the 41st Milennium, only asteroid or planetoid-based stations (such as Tartarus) are larger than the Anchor-class. Originally designed as a space-bound habitation facility to aid in the colonisation of new planets, the Mark V. is capable of comfortably housing approximately two million people and has independent gellar field projectors that allow it to be towed through the warp to the planet of destination. Once at the planet due to be colonised, the station would function as a base of operations while permanent settlements were constructed on the ground, and then either cannibalised for parts or converted into a number of alternate applications. As well as aiding interplanetary trade the Anchor-class could be modified to serve a number of different uses, including but not limited to: *'Trading Hub - 'The most typical optimisation, much of the enclosed living space is transformed into large, open trading areas and enormous hangers capable of handling incoming and outgoing shipments. *'Ship-building Yard - Enlarged docking bays and heavy lifting equipment instead of vast living spaces, from here any class of Imperial Ship can be constructed. *'Orbital Defence Station '- Exchanges living space for more Lance-Turrets, Weapons Batteries and point-defence guns, as well as larger docking bays able to house a fleet of fighter craft. Defensive upgrades include the addition of further Void shielding and upgraded armour plating. Developed alongside the Anchor-class was the Mark VI. Destructor-Class Space Fortress, a military alteration of the Mark V. chassis. Unfortunately, along with most Dark Age technology, the STCs for the Marks V. and VI. were lost to humanity in the aftermath of the Men of Iron cataclysm, where they were all destroyed and the knowledge of their construction died out. Rediscovery In 325.M41, ancient remnants of the Men of Iron attacked the Imperial planet of Mormark, where after much sacrifice they were defeated by the Ghosts of Retribution and the Planetary Defence Force. In the final battle aboard the enemy mothership, Chapter Master looted the STC for both the Mark V. and Mark VI. platforms. At the beginning of 326.M41, construction on an Anchor-class Space Station began above Mormark, expected to conclude by the end of the same year. It was completed on schedule and was christened The Iron Phoenix. A derelict Anchor-class was discovered in Sector Corgus by the Rogue Trader Alexander Kerr in the system that would come to be known as Ionian's Respite. After learning of The Iron Phoenix, Kerr was able to identify the derelict and restore a small portion of it to functionality using systems from ancient shipwrecks in the system. This would prove to be a decisive factor when a Styrian Triarchy task force attempted to conquer the system in 361.M41. Category:STC Pattern